Improvement in revolvers



R. WHITE. Revolving Fire-ArmI Patented Feb. 22, 1870 yU 'E v l i like UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT iN RevoLvERs.

` Specieationformingpart of Iictterslfatent No. 00.22?, dated Fein-nary 32, lU.

l To alf/whom 'it may concern i Be it known that I, RoLLIN WHITE, of Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pistols; and I do hereby declare that the following' is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates more particularly to eertaiunew and useful improvements in that kind of pistols composed of a stationary barrel and revolving cylinder having its chambers bored through, though portions ot' my invention are adapted as well to other kinds ot' tirearms.

Previous to my present invention this kind of pistol has involved. the object-ion that no larger cartridge could he used in it than the size adapted to the chambers ot' its cylinder,

which is necessariy small'.

To overcome this` objection is. one object of the iirst part of myinvention, which consists `in the employment, in connection with theordinary stationary barrel and revolving` cylin der, of one or more supplementary barrels having the bore extended through, and adapted to receive and dre a larger cartridge than that used in the cylinder, and so arranged that it can be conveniently and rapidly tired by means -of the same cartridge-exploding device, as will be presently more fullyexplained; and my invention further consists in the novel arrange ment of a firngpin in and extending through the axis of the cylinder, as hereinafter described, and inthe construction and arrangement of the hammer in relation thereto.

My invention further consists in the relative position ofthe tumbler, sear, and trigger, and their arrangement within the frame, as tully shown and hereinafter described; also, in the combination of the hammer and tumbler with the mainspring and -scar, under the arrange ment shown, whereby an increasingpower is exerted on the hammer by the mainspring, and a highly-sensitive trigger is obtained, as hereinafter more fully set fortln` 'f y To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will proceed to\de` scribe the several features of my-saidinverr tion more particularly, referring b vlelters to the accompanying drawings, in which-L Figure 1 is au elevation of a repeating-pistol embracing my invention. Fig. 2'is a top view ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, showing a diterent mode of applying the auxiliary barrel.

In the several figures the same letter if reference denotes the same part.

A is the frame, B the barrel, C the cylinder,

and D the stock, of the pistol.

E is the hammer, which is hung on astud atv j' to turn in thc usual manner, and is formed with a tumbler, g, into the notches 1 2 of which catches the rear end of the scar h., which is pivoted at 3, and is operated upon at its for ward end by the trigger yi. Within the stock D is arranged a spiral spring, J', which constitutes the mainspring of the arm, and within` which is arranged a rod or pin., k', pivoted or coupled at m to the hamhier. 44 I` y I A Lis" the bolt. VU andPa're iiiiliary barrels,

and q r tiring-dogs attached to the hammer, and vS firing-pin to lower auxiliary' barrel. tis

the base-pin, on which the cylinder turns, actuated by a hand orpawl, attached to the ham.- 4mer, working in the ratchehin the usual manner. lhe lower barrel, 1), is arranged to swing down ona pivot at fr, and is secured in position by means of a slide-catch, t2. The top barrel, 0, may be applied by means of a. shoe, w, adapteditoslide into a dovetail scat cut in top ot' barrel B, upon which shoe it may turn, as illustrated, and maybe secured in position by means ot' a spring-catch, y. Although both of the auxiliary barrels O and P can be applied at the same time, still l propose to construct the pistol and adapt it to theemploymeut ot' one or the other of such barrels-as, for instance, for the use ot'atop auxiliary barrel, as illustrated at Figs. 1, 2, or for the use of a lower auxiliary` barrel, as'secn at Fig. 3.

I will brietlyexplain the operation of' my imf 'to the hammer. `mer are so relatively arranged that the former trigger, and with 2 HEMEL?? isforced forward bythe slidin g base-pin t, which is struck at its rear end by the'dog r, attached The said dog r andthehamstrikes and rests upon the base-pin t before the hammer can come inl contact 'with the car-'- tridges of the cylinder G; but when it is desired to use thel cartridges in said 'cylinder' the dog r is folded in., as shown by red lines,

when the hammer will be free to descend into -thecartridges of the cylinderand explode them. The hammer is also holdup sufficiently' by the dog r during th`e use ot the barrel P to prevent the operation ot' the pawl in the ratchet ot' the cylinder, and consequentl y the latter will maintain a xed condition as long as the dog ris in position to tire the cartridges of the auxiliary barrel P5 and when said dog is folded upso that the revolvingcylinder can he used, then said dogl will not operate the sliding basefpin, and a cartridge in barrel l? will not ne exploded. ,l

l Indien of the pin S and sliding base-pint, the latter could 'be made stationary and hoilow and a firing-pin run through it. 0i' course many modifications ofdetail may he suggested and employed to effect the mode Vof operation described.

or one'acting in a curved line, the hammer is' actuated with more force and effectiveness.

nearest its time of striking tlrccartridge, and7 being.,r brought to.nenrly a dead-center at the lfull-cock, ispressed forward Very slightly dur- Qing' its start, which is ol'great advantage, since,

.lli iiieqncnce of the spring J and its rod k heiligv brodgg'ilt into line nearly with the axis ofthe hammer at the full-cock, the tendency of.

the spring to move the hammer at the start is 'very slight, and consequently there is no pull or strain on the scar, and it cairhe relieved entirely from th e' hammer and let it oft' ny means of the most delicate touch upon the little strain korwear on the cock-notch Although I have shown a rod, k, arranged within the spring;- J, and coupled to the ham- V mer, it will he understood that the wire ofthe spring .itself could be connected to the hainlmer; or, in lieu of the simple spiral spring, a volute spring could be employed; and it wili he seen that by the use thus ofa spring acting in a right line I am enabled to accommodate the mainspring in a small holein the stock, and .can consequently make the latterrpuch smaller and of more desirable shape than I could with the use ofthe ordinary kind rof mainspring.

By arranging the scar, as shown, to take hold in the lower back part ot' the hammerv and extending it forwardto thetrigger, with Vthe latter acting on its forward end, I amenahled to place the trigger and rest for the foreiinger farther forwardand in. a much more comfortable and desirable position than that in which the trigger'can be placed (relatively to the stock) in pistols heretofore made; 'and by thus carrying forward that portion of thi-e' frame in which the trigger is located and arfl ranging'the. bolt as shown I am enabled to l Y have the latter worlr under the-cylinder and incluse@ and at the same time make that part of the Trame vforward of the trigger so thin as to bring'the foreli'nger close up under the cylinder in grasping the pistol.A

The sear is so pivoted reiatiyely tothe location and shape of the cock-notch of the hammer as to move into and ont of said'notch without moving the hammerthat is to say., the pivot of the senr is so placed as to canse the face of catch portion of the sea'r to move in an arc about coincident with the short straight line (or arc) of the cock-notch, whereby the motion of the sear into and out of said notch in the' hammer may he ett'ected without moving the hammer at all. 'p

lf it be desired'to employthe auxiliary barrel on top, as shown at Fig. 1, the breech should.

out the several features of'my invention`andv .that some one or more characteristic features of my several improvementsnraybe used to great advantage without using. the whole of my invention. '1 j Itwill be understood that the supplementary barrel l may be placed above, heneatl1,atthe side of, or at any suitable place relative to the cylinder', so that it is arranged in front there-V of. g

My improyement may he readily'adapted to the ordinary style' of pistol now in 'common use simply by a slight modicationof 'the centerpin to make it a'tiring-pin, as will readily be seen; and by my'arrangement of thesupplemental barrel at any place' in front of the cyl-A inder I am enabled to use a cylinder of the ora dinary size, or, in other words, I am not compelled to usean enlarged cylinder, and can add a supplemental barrel by ,a slight modification tothe ordinary pistol by placing itiu front or on the' outside ot' the cylinder.A

What I therefore Chim, and -desire to secure vby Letters Patent, is

. l. The supplemental barrel P, when the saine is arranged so that its breech is in front of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes `set forth.

2. The combination, with a. revolving fire-l ment of the tumbler, sear, and trigger, whereby the sear canjplny intoV and out of the tumbier-catches, as described, and the trigger is located forward of the rear end ofthe cylinder, as shown. y

6. The arrangement of the mninspring J within the stock and in relation to the hammer E, so that. when the hammer is cocked the pressure ofthe mainspring will be mainly on the pivot thereof, instead of mainly iu opposition to thelsear, as andfor the purposes specitied. i' f In testixnong whereof' I have hereunto set my hand and seal this'v26th1day`of February,

' ROLLIN WHITE. 1L. 5.]v .In presence of- JOHN H. MCA'LVIN,

Trios. G. Gnwi'rw 

